Variable stroke slurcock



J. vcLAvlK 2,571,314

VARIABLE STROKE SLURCOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORZ Oct. 16, 1951 Filed May 7, 1948 ATTORN E YS Oct. 16, 1951 J vcLAvlK VARIABLE STROKE SLURCOCK Filed May 7, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 QW A,

INVENTORI 9 e l Y/ Z /z SLM Lem E @m E-m Q ww @su e EET L| Q v @l ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 16, 1951 I J, VCLAVIK 2,571,314

VARIALE STROKE sLURCoCK Filed May 7, 1948 4- sheets-sheet 5 ATTORNEYS Oct- 16, 1951 ,.l. vcLAvlK 2,571,314

VARIABLE STROKE sLURcoCK Filed May '7, 194s 4 sheetssnet 4 I INVENTORE ATTORNEYS.

Patented ct. 16,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE lvAiuABLE STROKE sLURCoCK Jaroslav Vclavk, Zlin, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Bata, narodni podnik, Zlin, Czechoslovakia Application May 7, 1948, Serial No. 25,606 In Czechoslovakia May 8, 1947 10 Claims. (Cl. 66-110) The present invention relates to Cotton knitting machines and more particularly to a method and apparatus permitting to obtain two paths'of different lengths for the slurcocks and the drivlng heads of the thread guides on a Cotton knitting machine, in which the angular extent of motion of the operating lever is varied by means of'a sliding block which is arranged in a guide slot provided in the operating lever, the essential feature of the invention consisting in this that the displacement of the sliding block from one position to the other is derived from the movement of the Coulier mechanism itself in such a way that the change in length of the path of the slurcocks and of the driving heads for the thread guides, and also the exchange of the driving` heads take place during the period of sinking a single course f loops.

In the knitting of narrowed hosiery by means of Cotton knitting machines hitherto Ain use the slurcocks and the driving heads of the thread guides are moving in the majority of cases over the whole width of the needle row'although the width of the product gradually diminishes due to the narrowing in the calf portion. More particularly from the beginning of the high heel to the termination of the toe the width of the product is reduced, and with a constant path of the slurcocks and of the driving heads for the thread guides it is the usual practice to reduce the number of revolutions of the machine, whereby considerable losses of time arise.

Methods have been devised forA reducing the time losses by controlling the length of the slurcock paths. In accordance with one of the methods hitherto known the angular extent of movement of the operating lever is varied Vby means of a block slidablymounted ina guide slot provided in said lever. In accordance with another method the reverse arrangement is used, the block being rigidly connected to the rocking lever and the guide slot being movable on the block. The movement of the block, or of the guide slot, is derived either from a control linkage actuated Vby hand or mechanically, or from the narrowing mechanism itself; v

The use of a control linkage has not-proved successfulbecause it is diicult to shift'the'samfe by hand during the operation of the machine.

A connection provided between the control linkev age and the narrowing mechanism would permit, in view of the pitch of the spindle threads, a gradual variation only in rthe length of the 'slurcock paths over a time longer than that during Y which-the slurcocks effect the sinking of a' course of loops so that such an arrangement cannot be used as an universal means for the simultaneous control of the slurcocks and of thread guide driving heads and also for effecting the thread guide exchange from the range of the shortened paths of the slurcocks and driving heads.

In order to eliminate the above imperfections, the present invention provides for performing the movement of the slurcocks and guide thread driving heads along two paths of different lengths and for exchanging the thread guides from the range of the shortened paths of the slurcocks and driving heads by means of the Coulier mechanism, the exchange of the paths of different length for lthe slurcocks and thread guide driving heads being derived from the movement of the Coulier mechanism itself during the period of sinking a course of loops by the slurcocks.

The Vmethod of the present invention may be used with advantage to increase the output of a Cotton knitting machine, more particularly a machine of fine division or pitch, in which a far more sensitive yarn is used since with a narrowed path of the slurcocks and thread guide driving heads the number of revolutions of the main cam Shaft may remain constant, as with a shortened path of the slurcocks the desired reduction in the sinking speedA of the slurcocks and thread guide driving heads takes place in accordance withthe formula where c represents the sinking speed of the slurcock and thread guide driving head, s the path of the slurcock and t the time taken by the slurcock to travel over the path s. The jack sinkers then move at a slower speed between the knitting needles, and also the thread guides lay the yarn at a slower rate. Thereby the stress on the yarn is considerably reduced and during the period of knitting the high heel, instep and toe a clean plating is obtained as well as a more reliable operation of the thread guides. The movements following the formation of a loop course are performed at normal speed corresponding to the constant speed of the cam shaft.

'The method vof the invention is of great importance also in'connection with the exchange of the thread guides, for instance, after the knitting of the heel pieces has been terminated, when the strengthening thread guide working in the range of the shortened slurcock path is t0 be brought tothe edge of the needle row into inoperative position and to be replaced by a new thread guide for knitting the instep before the next shortened path of the slurcocks begins.

A constructional embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of the Coulier and changeover mechanism shown in the extreme left hand position or' the operating lever;

Fig. 2 is a section along the line II--II of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line III- III of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section along the line V-V of Fig. l;4

Fig. 6 shows a detail of the safety member for securing the positions of the sliding members;

Fig. '7 shows an example of narrowing when knitting a ladys stocking on a Cotton knitting machine, the positions of the thread guides beingV also shown;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating the details of the switch bar, rack and safety device forming part of the change-over mechanism.

During the period of knitting the welt and leg portion of the stocking shown in Fig. '7 the length of the path of the slurcocks and driving heads for the thread guides is approximately 500 millimeters corresponding to the Working width A, the said length being reduced within the section C of the stocking, i. e. from the edge of the welt to the sec-ond main narrowed part of the stocking, to about 350 millimeters in the section D of the stocking so as to correspond to the working Width B. If, for instance, a standard ladys stocking of 45 gage consists as a whole of 2000 courses, the slurcocks and driving heads for the thread guides work during a period corresponding to about 1200 courses over a width A and a length C and during the remaining 800 courses over a width B and a length D, whereby with a constant number of revolutions of the main cam shaft an economy of more than of the working time necessary for knitting a complete stocking is secured.

The main Coulier cam I is rotated in a manner known per se from the main cam shaft 2 through the intermediary of the gears 3, 4 having a gear ratio of l to 2 (Fig. 3). One revolution of the Coulier cam I corresponds to the period of knitting two courses of loops, or to two revolutionsiof the main cam shaft. rl"he gear 4 is fastened to one end of a shaft 5 which is mounted rotatably in the frame 6 of the machine. The opposite end of the shaft 5 carries fast on thesame the main Coulier cam I. Guides 'I areA fastened on the frame 8 of the machine and a slide 8 is mounted f-or horizontal movement in the said guides, so as to have a path of constant length corresponding to the constant stroke of the main Coulier cam I (Fig. l) Holders 9 are fastened by means of screws I0 on the slide 8 symmetrically with respect to the center of the latter, as shown in Fig. 3. Each holder 9 carries a nonrotatable pin II on which a roller I2 is rotatably mounted so as to travel in contact with the circumference of the Coulier cam I. I the central part of the slide 8 is formed a vertical guide slot I3 in which a sliding block I4 works, the cylindrical pin I5 of the sliding block carrying a rotatably mounted block I6, which is adapted to slide in a vertical guide slot I1 formed in the operating lever I8 (Figs. 1 and 3). The single arm operating lever is mounted pivotally on a pin I9 secured in the frame of the machine (Fig. 5). To the end of the operating lever I8 is fastened a gear sector 2D having its teeth in permanent engagement with a pinion 2 I, which is mounted rotatably on a fixed pin 23 together with a gear 22. The gear 22 engages with a pinion 24 fast on the shaft 25 of a worm 26. The helical thread 21 of the Worm 26 entrains by means of the small rollers 28 the body 29 of the slurcock which body is slidably mounted on the fixed guide bar 30 (Fig. 5).

The sliding block I4 is rigidly connected to the end of a rack 3| which has its teeth in permanent engagement with a pinion 32 (Figs. 1 and 4) The pinion 32 is fastened on the end of a pin 33, which is mounted rotatably in, and adapted to be entrained by, the slide 8. The other end of the pin 33 is formed as a pinion 34 which is in permanent engagement with a rack 35 mounted slidably in an angle member 36 provided at the lower edge of the slide 8 (Fig. 5). The rack 35 is retained in position in lateral and vertical directions by means of guides 3'I. The front faces of the rack 35 carry each a set screw 38 secured by means of a nut 38 (Figs. 1 and 4). In one of the longitudinal Walls of the rack 35 is provided a longitudinal groove 40 crossed by two vertical grooves 4I (Figs. 4 and 8). In the longitudinal groove 4D is slidably mounted a switch bar 42 whose exposed longitudinal wall is provided with a ramp or abutment 43. Also the ends of the switch bar 42 carry each a small set screw 44 secured by a nut 45. On the left hand side of the angle member 36 the wall of the slide 8 is provided with a rectangular opening 48 (Figs. 1 and 8), adapted to receive the foursided casing 4'I of a holder y48, the casing being fastened on the slide 8 by means of screws (Fig. 8). The holder 48 is provided with an opening 49 adapted to act as a guide for the pin 5I!v of a safety member 5I (Figs. 6 and 8) The safety member is forkshaped, the central part of the same being provided with inclined abutment surfaces 52 and the end part 53 being o f rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the vertical grooves 4I in the rack 35. One end of a spring 54 is secured on the holder 48 by means of a small screw 55, the opposite free end of the spring exerting a suitable pressure against the pin of the safety member 5I (Figs. 5 and 8). In the space underneath the slide 8 the frame 6 is provided with bearing brackets 56 which are screwed to the frame under the guides 'I and carry the rotatably mounted shaft 5 'I A of the change-over mechanism (Figs. 1 and 4) On the inner sidesl of the brackets 56 the reduced portions of thev shaft 51 carry rigidly mounted abutment discs 58. Each disc 58 is provided on its periphery with six teeth 58 having a uniform pitch (Fig. 2). The relative position of the two abutmentv discs isdetermined by the teeth 59 of one of the discs being displaced by one half of the pitch length with respect to the teeth of the other disc. Accordingly, the axis of any of the teeth 59 of one of the discs 58 coincides with the axis of the gap, between twoV teeth of the other disc (Fig. 4). The abutment discs 58 are held in position each by means of a xingplunger 60 guided in the wall of the respective bearing 56 and subjected to the pressure of; a helical spring so as to engage in a corresponding notch formed in the disc 58 (Fig. 1).

On the right hand half of the shaft51 is pinned a pinion 6I having inclined teeth which engage with a worm wheel 62 pinned on the end of theA `shaft 63 (Figs. 1 and 2). The shaft 63Y is rotatable in bearings 64 and 65 which are screwed to the frame 6 of the machine. On the opposite end of the Shaft 63 is pinned a ratchet wheel 6B (Fig. 2) which by means of a. paw] mechanism, not

heads for the thread guides are of maximumlength, the interconnected sliding blocks I4 and IB are in their lower extreme position shown in Fig. 1, so that the angle of swivel of the operating lever I8 has its maximum value and the length of travel of the-horizontally moving slide 8 is.

equal tothe constant stroke of the main Coulier cam I.

' In order to knit the stocking with a narrowed working widthB and a length D, it is necessary to shorten the paths of the slurcocks and of the driving heads for the thread guides, and also to shift the blocks I4 and I li to their upper end position. For reducing the length of travel of the slurcocks and driving heads for the thread guides it is of advantage to keep the slurcock idle for a certain period upon completion of the sinking operation. This is achieved by the main Coulier cam I, which is still normally rotating, by arranging the same in such a way that within a certain range of degrees its circumference does not act upon the rollers I2 of the slide 8, which occupies either its right hand or its, left hand end position (Fig. 1).V Together with the slide 8 the operating lever I8 occupies either its right hand or its left hand end position (Fig. 1). As it may be seen in Figures 2 and 4, the right hand abutment disc 58 is in such a position that a gap becf tween its teeth 59 provides free passage for the rack 35 and switch bar 42 in their horizontal motion while a tooth 58 of the left hand abutment disc 58 lies in the path of these two members without exerting any influence on their operation. During the limited period of rest of the slurcock a control drum, not shown, gives rise to an impulse for turning the ratchet wheel 63, the turning being effected by a pawl mechanism, not shown. The rotation of the ratchet wheel 66 resultsvin rotation of the shaft 63, worm gears 62 and 6I, shaft 5'I and of the two abutment discs 58 by one half of the pitch length of the teeth 59. In this Way a tooth 59 of the right hand abutment disc 58 will be brought to a position in which it lies in the horizontal path of the rack 35 and switch bar 42. lOn the two abutment discs 58 being simultaneously rotated the curved periphery of the Coulier cam I begins to cooperate with the cam rollers I2 so that the slide 8 is moved to the right. Concurrently with the slide also the rack 35 and the switch ba; 42 guided therein are entrained, so that the head of the set screw 44 is caused to abut against the front Wall of a tooth 5 9 of the right hand disc 58. The switch bar 42 with the ramp 43 remains stationary while the rack 35 connected to the slide by means of the safety member 5I is carried further t9 the right- During the movement 0f the slide 8 t0 the .right the inclined surfaces 52 of the safety member 5I are brought in Contact with the stationary ramp Q3 of the switch bar 42 whereby the rectangular end part 53 of the Safety ,member 5I is diserecaged from the left vertical groove 4| of the rack 35. During the further movement of the rack 35 in the original direction, the safety member 5I is constantly pushed aside by the ramp 43 until the head of the set screw 38 abuts against the same tooth 59 of the right hand disc. The movement of the rack 35 is thus arrested While the slide 8 is still moving further to the right under the action of the Coulier cam I. The pinion 34, which has been entrained by the slide 8 up to the moment when the rack 35 has been arrested, begins to roll along the teeth of the rack and thereby rotates about its own axis. Since the pinion 34 is rigidly connected to the pinion 32, the latter also rotates about its own axis and thereby carries upward the rack 3| and with the latter also the blocks I4 and I6 to their upper end position, This position is secured by engagement -of the rectangular end part 53 of the safety member 5I in the right hand vertical groove 4I ofthe rack 35 due to the spring 54 acting on the Vpin 50 of the safety member 5 I.

By shifting the blocks to their upper end position during the time when the slurcock eiects the sinking of a course of loops, the angle of swivel of the operating lever I8 is reduced while the length of travel of the blocks is not changed and the number of revolutions of the main cam shaft 2 and of the Coulier` cam I remains constant. As the time remains unchanged and the path of the slurcocks and driving heads for the thread guides is shortened, the speed of the same is reduced.

The exchange of the original thread guide during the knitting of the narrow stocking length D with the Width B for a new thread guide, which until then has remained inoperative in the end position E (Fig. '7), occurs with the aid of an end stop, noty shown in the drawing, by two successive displacements of the blocks, that is, from the upper into the lower and back again into the upper end position, within the period of the looping of one row of stitches, in order that the driving head moving in one direction can bring the original thread guide from the operative position into the zone of the end stop, not shown in the drawing, that is, into the position E, and the new thread guide, during the subsequent return of the driving head, into the operative position on the narrowed width B. The opposite operation of the Coulier and change-over mechanism is the same as the above described operation, the only difference consisting in this that a tooth 59 of the left hand abutment disc 58 acts upon the set screws 44, 38 of the rack 35 and of the switch bar 42, which are entrained by the slide 8 in its movement to the left.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for securing two paths of different lengths for the slurcocks and driving heads of the thread guides on a Cotton knitting machine, in which the angular extent of swivel of the operating lever is varied by means of a block slidable in a guide slot in the said lever, a Coulier mechanism for actuating said operatingA lever, and a transmission device actuated by the movement of the Coulier mechanism itself for effecting lt sliding motion of the block in the guide slotl 'from one position to the other whereby the change'in the length of travel of the s lurco'cks and driving heads for the thread guides take place during the sinking of a course of loops. A

2 n an. apparau O? Sulfng WO Paih 9?. different lengths fer the slurce'ls and driving heads Of the'thread guides @il e Gotto@ knitting .mchne in Which @he @nglllaflf .efelli Q wlvl Qf the Operating lever is varies by means et a block slidabls in a guide slot in the said lever. the provision of a reciprocating slide carrying a transe mission device for controlling the shifting Inotion of the block in the guide slot of the operating lever.

3. In an apparatus for securing two paths of diil'erent lengths for the slurcocks and guiding heads of the thread guides on a Cotton knitting machine, in which the angular extent of swivel of the operating lever is varied by means of a block slidable in a guide slot in the said lever, the provision of a reciprocating slide carrying a transmission device, which comprises a shifting rack mounted slidably on the slide and two interconnected pinions adapted to engage one with the shifting rack and the other with a second rack for displacing simultaneously two interconnected blocks, one in a guide slot provided in the slide and the other in the guide slot of the operating lever.

4. In an apparatus for securing two paths of different lengths for the slurcocks and driving heads of the thread guides on a Cotton knitting machine, in which the angular extent of swivel of the operating lever is varied by means of a block slidable in a guide slot in the said lever, the provision of a reciprocating slide carrying a transmission device, and a change-over mechanism adapted to be operated by a control drum so as to cause the block to be shifted in the guide slot of the operating lever.

5. In an yapparatus for securing two paths of different lengths for the slurcocks and guiding heads of the thread guides on a Cotton knitting machine, in which the angular extent of swivel of the operating lever is varied by means of a block slidable in a guide slot in the said lever, the provision of a reciprocating slide carrying a transmission device, and a change-over mechanism adapted to be operated by a control drum` so as to cause the block to be shifted in the guide slot of the sinker lever, the change-over mechanism being provided with abutment discs adjustable in the path of a shifting rack constituting a part of the transmission device carried by the reciprocating slide.

6. In an apparatus for securing twol paths of different lengths for the slurcocks and driving heads of the thread guides on a Cotton knitting machine, in which the angular extent of swivel of the operating lever is varied by means of a block slidable in la guide slot in the said lever, the provision offs reciprocating slide carrying a trans- 'with thetransmission device in such a way as to determine the end positions of a sliding block.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, in which the safety member is adapted to co-operate with the transmission device in such a way as to determine the end positions of two sliding blocks.

9. VIn an apparatus for securing two paths of different lengths for the slurcocks and driving' heads ofthe thread guides on a Cotton knitting machine, in which the angular extent of swivel of the operating lever is varied by means of a block slidable in a guide slot in the said lever lthe provision of arecprocating slide carrying a transmission device having a shifting rack mounted slidably on the slide, a change-over mechanism adapted to be operated by a control drum, a safety member co-operating with the transmission device, and a detent on the reciprocating slide adapted to engage in grooves which are provided in the shifting rack and correspond to the end positions of the sliding block.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, in which the detent is controlled by a switch `bar mounted slidably in the shifting rack.

JARosLAv VCLAVI'K.

REFERENCES CITED Thev following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,932,991 Howie Dec. 4, 1934' 2,030,037 Waechtler Feb. 4, 1936 2,195,350' Worm Mar. 26, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date- 554,075 Great Britain June 18, 1943 

